Fidel Castro Ruz

political leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, he transformed his country into the first communist state in the Western Hemisphere, and he became a symbol of Communist revolution in Latin America. Brief biography Castro was born in Cuba to a Spanish immigrant. He had a fairly comfortable life, as his father was a sugarcane farmer. --His role in revolutionary parties In 1945 he entered the Law school at the University of Havana, where there were many organized violent gangs who intended to push several political aims and goals. Castros main activity here was politics, and in 1947 he joined an attempt by Cubans and Dominican exiles to invade the Dominican republic and overthrow General Rafael Trujillo. Similarly, a year later he took part in urban riots that broke out in Bogota, Colom. After he graduated in 1950, he began to practice law, and he became a member of the reformist Cuban peoples party (called Ortodoxos). He became the Ortodoxos candidate for the Havana districts seat in the House of Representatives (in the 1952 elections). However, in march 1952, the former Cuban president, Fulgencio Batista, overthrew the government and cancelled the elections, creating a new dictatorship.

Overthrowing Batista His party tried to use legal means to get Batista out of power, but it failed, so Castro began to organize a rebel force to overthrow him in 1953. He led 160 men in an almost suicidal attack on military barracks in 1953, which was intended to spark a popular uprising. However most were killed and Castro arrested, and sentenced to a 15 year imprisonment. However, he was released in 1955 under political amnesty. There, he went to Mexico and continued the campaign against the Batista dictatorship. There, he organized Cuban rebels and created a revolutionary group, called the 26th of July movement. In 1956 Castro and 81 men landed on the coast of Cuba, only to be attacked, and the only ones left not dead or captured were Fidel, his brother Raul Castro, Che Guevara, and nine others. They retreated into the Sierra Maestra and waged guerilla warfare against the Batista forces. Their successes led to a growing number of revolurionary volunteers throughout the island. With their help, Castros forces won a string of victories over the Batista government (who were demoralized and poorly led). Castros propaganda proved to be very effective, because interal political support for Batista waned, and his military defeats multiplied. This led to batista fleeing in 1959. Castros force of 800 guerilla soldiers had defeated the Cuban army of 30,000 professional soldiers.

Castro in power Castro then became commander in chief of the armed forces in Cubas new provisional government, and Manuel Urrutia as president. In Fenruary 1959 castro became premier and so head of the government. Urrutia was forced to resign in July 1959, (he had many disagreements with Castro) and so Castro took his position aswell.

Anti-America Batista had been supported by the USA, when he was in power it was an era of close co-operation of Cuba and the USA. and also worked very closely with them, he even introduced a tax on Cuba to help fund Americas war efforts. This was unpopular as many people in Cuba remained poor Batista now held the self-appointed rank of General. Once in power Batista suspended the islands constitution and established a one-party dictatorship with him as the leader.

Bay of pigs invasion was backed and trained by the USA

Batistas rule was oppressive. The rich on the island did well as long as they ensured that they rewarded Batista. However, little if anything was done for the poor. Batista allowed Cuba to become a playground for Americas rich. Just fifty miles from Florida, rich Americans would fly out to Havana to gamble and to enjoy the good life. Nothing could have been in more stark contrast to the lives of poverty led by the Cuban poor. The Batista era witnessed the almost complete domination of Cuba's economy by the United States, as the number of American corporations continued to swell, though corruption was rife and Havana also became a popular sanctuary for American organized crime figures, notably hosting the infamous Havana Conference in 1946. U.S. Ambassador to Cuba Arthur Gardner later described the relationship between the U.S. and Batista during his second spell as President: The sheer size of the island gave Castro and his men the opportunity to hide from Batistas men. They copied the tactics of Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communists. Castros followers helped the poor of the island by helping out on their very rudimentary farms, by establishing the most basic of schools for the poor and by giving what medical help they could. This hearts and minds policy was very successful and the support for the Communists spread outside of the Sierra Maestra Mountains and nearer and nearer to Batistas power base in Havana. - Castro was able to use propaganda in guerrilla warfare to gain support

Followed Marxist beliefs to better society

The sheer size of the island gave Castro and his men the opportunity to hide from Batistas men. They copied the tactics of Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communists. Castros followers helped the poor of the island by helping out on their very rudimentary farms, by establishing the most basic of schools for the poor and by giving what medical help they could. This hearts and minds policy was very successful and the support for the Communists spread outside of the Sierra Maestra Mountains and nearer and nearer to Batistas power base in Havana. the new Cuban government nationalized all property held by religious organizations, including the dominant Roman Catholic Church. Hundreds of members of the church, including a bishop, were permanently expelled from the nation, with the new Cuban government being declared officially atheist. Education also saw significant changes private schools were banned and the progressively socialist state assumed greater responsibility for children.[24]

Identify what is meant by a great leader, there are different definitions of great